In an interview with Slovenian news channel Odembe, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin addressed the situation with Israel. Asked why Russia is excluded from UEFA while Israel is not, Čeferin said that “this is a legitimate question."
“I don’t support banning athletes from competitions in principle,” Čeferin explained. “In the case of Russia, the athletes have not participated for three and a half years, and the war has only worsened. I know many athletes oppose the regime, but they still cannot play. I am against denying them the right to participate in our competitions.”
When asked about Israel’s participation, Čeferin stated, “Israel is allowed to play in our facilities. This is our decision as of now. It’s hard for me to say what will happen in the future, but I really think all athletes should be given the opportunity to compete. Other issues should be resolved in different ways.”
The interview with the UEFA chief came days after the soccer governing body placed a giant banner on the pitch before a match between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham in Udine, Italy, reading: “Stop killing children. Stop killing civilians.” However, it then prevented the family of Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski from holding signs at the Beitar Jerusalem vs. Riga match in Bucharest, calling for his release from captivity.
The family’s signs, banned by UEFA, displayed Rom’s photo along with the messages: “I want my brother,” “Bring back Rom,” and another in English: “The voice of my brother’s blood is calling to me from the tunnels - Bring Rom and the rest of our hostages home.”
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)